Interfaith group helps homeless bounce back

PORTSMOUTH — A reunion of a different sort took place Thursday at RiverRun Bookstore, bringing together formerly homeless families and the people who helped them get back on track.

Karen Dandurant

PORTSMOUTH — A reunion of a different sort took place Thursday at RiverRun Bookstore, bringing together formerly homeless families and the people who helped them get back on track.

Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network is composed of local congregations working with volunteers and community resources to help the homeless regain their independence by offering shelter, support and the guidance to gain the skills needed to take care of themselves and their families.

"It's nice to get a chance to see how the families are doing," said Pati Frew-Waters, director of the SIHN. "We keep track, but it's good to see the kids and talk with the parents. It's an opportunity for them to be with the volunteers again and for the volunteers to see the families they helped. Plus, the kids miss me."

They really do. Little ones were finding books and climbing in her lap to be read to.

"They ask to come every day," said Heidi Rand. A former shelter resident, Rand now lives in an apartment in Rochester with her three children, Tabyas, 5; Tayeghan, 3; and Anthony, who is 18 months old.

Rand said SIHN helped her from the second she arrived.

"They helped me get a new Social Security card because mine was lost in a fire," Rand said. "They got my kids into day care and provided counseling for myself. Pati did the legwork for getting me an apartment. They helped me save and learn to mange my money better."

Liz Ledoux, a who has four children, is living in an apartment in Dover right now, but she's waiting for a Habitat for Humanity home to be completed. She was able to obtain the house with the help of SIHN.

"They are hoping it will be ready in September, just in time for school," Ledoux said.

When Ledoux arrived at the SIHN shelter, she came with three small children in tow — and she was very pregnant. She stayed at the shelter from Nov. 14, 2006, to Aug. 15, 2007.

"Grant was born a week to the day after I arrived," Ledoux said.

Grant is now 18 months old and very active. His siblings are Alan, 6; Devin, 4; and Faith, 2.

"My biggest surprise was to find out that absolute strangers were willing to come forward and help us out," Ledoux said. "They were there with us every time. Whatever we had to get done, they were there to help us do it. We accomplished so much."

Ledoux said it gave her peace of mind to know that her kids were safe.

"We always had a place to sleep, even if it did sometimes deflate," she said, referring to an air mattress the organization supplied her family.

"It still does that," piped in volunteer Melanie Berry.

Berry volunteers to sleep at one of the churches that house the families at night.

"I like the kids," Berry said. "I'm a big kid person, so I go and hang out with them at night."

Volunteer Gillian Carter started volunteering when her church, South Church, used to be one of the host churches.

"I sleep over or make food," Carter said. "Mostly, I sleep over, because I'm not a very good cook."

The reunion was held at the bookstore as part of RiverRun's program in which 2 percent of the store's May and June profits will be donated to SIHN. The store will donate 2 percent of its profits every month this year to beneficiaries like The Housing Partnership, Cross Roads House, Workforce Housing Coalition, Fair Tide and the United Way of the Greater Seacoast.

Michele Filgate, events coordinator at RiverRun, said the store is planning other similar events.

"We want to be able to show what we're supporting," Filgate said. "We want to give a public face to issues in the community."

"We have the reunion here. It helps sales and that helps us," Frew-Waters said.

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